


Comfort

by katiekat



Series: Where do we go from here? [1]
Category: Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: ...if you squit, Bromance, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magnificent Seven AU: ATF, Pre-Slash, slash goggles supplied but not necessary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-27
Updated: 2012-08-27
Packaged: 2017-11-13 00:11:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/497219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katiekat/pseuds/katiekat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a tough case someone needs a little help</p>
            </blockquote>





	Comfort

**Author's Note:**

> The characters belong to the men with the lawyers, the ATF playground came from Mog (and if you think any different then you obviously haven’t been paying attention)

It had been a hell of a week, but their latest case was finally over. The case itself had started off fairly straightforward but the bust had been messy and the paperwork had seemed never-ending. Vin knew the phone call was coming, had been watching the signs and been waiting for a the last few days. He’d thought Wednesday, Thursday at the latest, but now it was Friday night and he was still waiting and he didn’t like the thought of leaving it over the weekend.   
He felt his cell phone vibrate inside his jacket pocket. He fished the dratted thing out and checked the caller ID.  
“Tanner... yeah... yeah... half an hour? I’ll see you soon.” He returned the phone to his pocket and looked up to meet Buck’s amused gaze.  
“Hot date there Vin?” There was something suggestive, well more so than usual, in his tone. Vin picked up his beer and ignored the question. “Ain’t that Charlotte again is it?” God, would he never live that down?  
“Nah, just meeting a friend.”   
“Must be a pretty good friend if you’re runnin’ off on a Friday night.” The Friday night after-work drinks were Team Seven tradition that Buck took very seriously.  
“You leaving Vin?” JD slid into the seat next to Buck. Vin sighed and finished his beer, so much for a quiet getaway.  
“Junior got a better offer JD.” Buck explained, winking broadly at Vin as though they shared some secret. “He got himself a phone call from a ‘friend’,” Vin rolled his eyes on the heavy emphasis. “And now he’s leavin’ us, for this ‘friend’.” Buck took a triumphant swig from his own beer, confident that the baton had been successfully passed in the ‘tease Vin about his private life’ relay. Vin stood up and grabbed his scarf from the back of his chair.  
“I’ll see you boys on Monday.” he said with a grin of his own, best not to let Buck know he’d gotten under his skin or he’d never let it go ‘til he had all the details.

>>

He was halfway across the parking lot when his phone buzzed against his ribs, a single short burst that indicated a text message. Vin slid into the drivers seat and pulled out his phone, he frowned at the small screen. It was a message from Buck. 

Say hi to Ezra for me 

“Aw hell.” He’d have to tell Ezra about this and he didn’t think the exceedingly private southerner would be very pleased to know that, at the very least, Buck was speculating about him.

>>

It had all started innocently enough about six months ago, Ezra had been injured during a bust and had insisted on returning to his townhouse rather than stay in the hospital overnight. That wasn’t unusual, none of them liked staying in the hospital if they could possibly talk their way out. Vin himself had agreed to drive Ezra home on the condition that he be allowed to stay overnight to keep an eye on him. Vin knew that Ezra was most likely playing down his injuries in order to escape, Vin knew because he’d seen Ezra do it before, hell he’d done it himself. Anyway, the overnight stay had turned into three when Vin realised how badly the broken ribs on the right and fractured arm on the left had impaired Ezra’s mobility. Ezra had, of course, refused to let himself ‘be a bother’ to Vin but Vin had simply refused to leave. And Ezra was in no state to try and force him. Vin had stayed on the couch that first night but in the morning, seeing the dark circles under Ezra’s eyes, he’d realised how hard it must have been for Ezra to sleep. Especially since Vin was almost certain the crafty southerner was palming his pain meds. Vin had made them breakfast and once they’d eaten and the dishes were cleared away, he’d taken Ezra back to bed and let the injured man use him as a human pillow. Allowing Ezra to drape himself over Vin in order to find a position that didn’t put any pressure on his injuries. 

>>

The, well ‘relationship’ was the wrong word but he guessed it was as good as any, relationship had gone on from there. They had never spoken of it but each knew the other appreciated discretion. And besides what they had was purely casual, whenever a case had knocked one of them around the other would usually appear and they would spend a night or two together and then they would go their separate ways.  
But this time it was different, the case in question had sent Ezra undercover. Nothing unexpected there, but this time there had been children, children that had been deemed expendable witnesses by the scumbags they’d been investigating. And there had been nothing Ezra could do to save them. Vin pushed the dark thoughts from his mind. That had been the reason he’d not gone straight to Ezra after the case was done, one dark-eyed glance had told him clearly ‘stay away’. And so, he’d waited, hoping Ezra would call, knowing he was punishing himself for something he’d had no control over, wanting nothing more than to offer what little comfort he could.

>>

And now this. Buck. Dammit to hell and he’d have to tell Ezra, it wasn’t fair not to, but it could rip apart everything. And it was then that Vin realised, casual or not, he’d come to rely on Ezra, knowing that the other man would be there if he needed him was a great comfort all on it’s own. And now six stupid little words from Buck could ruin it all.

>>

Vin automatically pulled the jeep to a stop outside Ezra’s home, only mildly surprised to find he’d driven there mostly on autopilot. He locked the door and took the steps two at a time to Ezra’s front door. The door opened only moments after he knocked, Ezra must have been waiting for him. He was wearing the same clothes he’d worn to the office, only without the suit jacket and tie. Vin had always thought he looked more vulnerable without his suit jacket, like a piece of his armor was missing. Now he just looked like death warmed up, his skin pale almost to the point of being grey, his usually sharp sparkling eyes dull and flat. Vin stepped inside to allow Ezra to shut the door and then took the shorter man into his arms. Ezra hesitated briefly, tried to pull away, but his reserves were so low he couldn't sustain the effort. After a moment he sagged into Vins loose embrace.  
“Thank you for coming.”  
“Hey where else would I be? When did you sleep last?”  
“Sleep? I’m not sure, perhaps an hour last night?”   
“You been drinking?” Vin knew from past experience that in the aftermath of tough cases, Ezra and excessive alcohol could sometimes make an aggressive combination. Ezra huffed a laugh against Vin’s chest.  
“No, actually I haven’t. Alcohol dulls the pain and I’m not sure I deserve that.  
“Weren’t your fault Ez, weren’t nothing you coulda done”  
“I’m not so sure of that,” Ezra pulled away and this time Vin let him go. “There is always something, something I should have seen, should have known.” Ezra began to pace, the foyer not allowing him much room but still he crossed the small space talking almost to himself. Vin could tell these were well rehearsed, often repeated charges that Ezra had found himself guilty of committing. “I knew what sort of men they were, I knew why the children were there. I should have tried to get them out, away. Something.”  
“You would have blown your cover, gotten yourself killed. We weren’t there for the kids, hell we didn’t even know about them before you went under. We were there for the guns. You know that. Weren’t nothing you could do for those kids that wouldn’t have ended in all of ya dyin’. Ya know that too.” Vin moved to intercept the pacing man before he could launch into another attack, taking him back into his arms.  
“None of this was your fault Ezra, ya cain’t go punishin’ yerself.”  
Ezra almost smiled against Vin’s shirt front.  
“You let your accent out.”  
“I’m tired, so are you. I wanna go to bed Ezra and I want ya to come with me.”

>>

A few minutes later, after Ezra had done his security check and set the alarm, they met in Ezra’s bedroom. Each man undressed silently, they didn’t need any more words now, they’d never been Vin’s strong suit and Ezra had used more than enough against himself over the last few days.  
They met in the middle of the bed, Ezra easily finding his way back into Vin’s arms, as only someone who’d been there before could. Vin waited for the other man to settle himself, Ezra would know what he wanted. And he did. Ezra settled himself against Vin’s chest, his head resting above the steady beat of his heart, the rest of his body pressed against the length of Vins.  
“Thank you for comin’ Vin.” He repeated his words from earlier. “I do appreciate you doin’ this for me.”  
“Ya don’t gotta thank me Ez, you look after me just as much as I look after you. There is one thing I gotta tell ya though.” Ezra yawned and pressed himself firmly against Vin’s side. Vin took the hint and tightened his arms. ‘Uh the thing is, Buck thinks we’re sleepin’ together.” Ezra yawned again.  
“But Mistah Tannah, we are sleepin’ togethah.” Vin could feel Ezra smiling against his chest and grinned to himself at the exhaustion thickening Ezra’s accent.  
“Yeah, but I don’t think this is the kinda ‘sleepin’ he thinks we’re doin.”  
“Oh.” The thought seemed to take it’s time sinking into Ezra’s already dozing brain. “Oh, Ah see.” Ezra shrugged one shoulder and yawned again. “Can we talk about that in the mornin’?”  
“Sure Ez, you go to sleep.” Vin combed his fingers through the other man’s short hair, letting the action relax them both into sleep. They’d deal with the Buck situation in the morning, right now sleep was far more important.


End file.
